From top to bottom, Sarah-Lynn Sobkowich, Mariah Williams, Erin Collins, Ellyne Kutnikoff, Rebecca Field and Rebecca Raikles pose in their new helmets and uniforms for their positions with the Spruce Grove Fire Services. The six join one female currently serving on staff and were wittled down from a pool of more than 70 applicants. Submitted photo

Last month, the department added six female recruits to its roster. Before, there was only one woman on staff, but thanks to a recruitment drive targeting women – anyone can apply and standards are not modified – that number has grown. According to the chief, the City has done this for years.

“This is an ongoing thing,” chief Robert Kosterman said. “We have been trying to diversify for probably the last 15 years. We would even go to Curves back in the day and really it has been an up and down thing.”

Before the department moved to full-time staff, there were roughly seven women serving on a casual basis, but the switch and people moving to employment elsewhere altered this number. Kosterman is happy to have people back and was quick to dismiss clichés spoken about women.

“They say females have a motherly instinct and I disagree with that,” he said. “Each individual is an individual. There are some guys who are good with kids and we look for skills in anyone who wants to apply. Really it is about looking for what I call the vein of gold no one has tapped into yet.”

Now, the group – whittled down from 70 applicants – is in a one-year probationary period with the City. Kosterman says each has a lot to do to prove themselves yet, but after what they have been through, he has faith.

“We did not set out to simply increase the number of females who [work for us],” Kosterman said in a press release. “Our goal was to recruit the right people for the job in a competitive workforce. This recruitment program created an environment for us to attract a new pool of excellent candidates.”

They will be a minority in the country. According to reporting from the CBC in 2017, only 600 of the nation’s 22,000 firefighters are women and many have faced discrimination and harassment and sexual misconduct from male peers. But, for new firefighter Rebecca Raikles, Spruce Grove has been nice.

“It has been an awesome time so far with everyone on the department,” the 29-year-old Edmonton resident said. “They are super excited having us here and are very supportive. We are all very fortunate and lucky to have this.”